After finishing 4-13 last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars underwent a roster overhaul in the offseason. All things considered, the new regime did a good job of raising the team's floor. However, the Jags had so many needs that one year wasn't going to be enough to address them all.
For that reason, expect general manager James Gladstone to continue to address the larger scale roster in 2026 and move on from players who don't truly fit the team's vision.
With this in mind, here are five prominent players who probably won't be back in Jacksonville next year.
Dyami Brown, Jaguars receiver
The Jaguars gave Dyami Brown a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency because they expected him to build off of his strong finish to 2024. However, he's been a non-factor after a strong start to the season when he hauled in a combined eight receptions for 109 yards with one touchdown the first two games.
Injuries are part of the reasons Brown hasn't been able to take off, but it hasn't helped that he's seen his playing time decrease because he's been ineffective in recent weeks. In fact, Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington got ahead of him on the depth chart, and it's hard to see him having another late-season surge for the second straight year.
Devin Lloyd, Jaguars linebacker
After three good-not-great seasons, Devin Lloyd got off to a hot start in 2025 and was even in the early conversations for Defensive Player of the Year honors. However, he's cooled off considerably after logging five takeaways the first five weeks. The fact that he had a calf injury didn't help matters, but he hasn't generated as many turnovers as he had earlier this year. Similarly, he appeared to lack a sense of urgency in the last play of the meltdown against the Texans.
watch Lloyd and Hines-Allen on the most important play of the game. pic.twitter.com/CouV3I1I4k
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) November 10, 2025
Now, Lloyd isn't a bad player. Far from it. He's a fine starter but probably not worth $20 million per year, the current rate for elite linebackers. So unless the former Utah Ute accepts a discount, expect the Jaguars to let other teams bid for his services in free agency.
Travis Etienne, Jaguars linebacker
After the draft, a report surfaced that the Jaguars weren't sold on either Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby. On top of that, there was a chance fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten could be the top option in the Jacksonville backfield.
In the end, Bigsby was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, Tuten has gotten less playing time than fellow rookie LeQuint Allen, and Travis Etienne is RB1 on the depth chart.
Etienne is without a doubt the best running back on the Jaguars right now, but that doesn't mean the team's brass will give him a top-market contract. The value of running backs across the NFL has taken a massive hit the past two decades, and only the truly good ones get paid.
And while Etienne is good, you will be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks he is a top-10 running back. Sure, he runs hard and is a good pass-catcher out of the backfield. However, the Jags will be operating with a limited budget in 2026, and they probably won't make a big financial investment at running back.
Instead, expect the Jags to let Etienne walk and draft a running back to compete with Tuten for the starting job next year.
Andrew Wingard, Jaguars safety
Is Andrew Wingard one of the best players on the team? Probably not, but he's most definitely one of the most notable ones and a fan favorite because of how endearing he is. But as likeable as he is, he may not return to Jacksonville in 2026. For starters, Dewey is in a contract year and hasn't done enough to earn a new deal. Quite the opposite, as he's been exposed in coverage and his tackling has left much to be desired.
Now, Wingard is solid in a reserve role and a key contributor on special teams, but it's hard to see James Gladstone making a big investment in a backup safety.
Walker Little, Jaguars left tackle
You could argue that this is a case of kicking a man when he's down, but the truth is that Walker Little got a three-year deal worth $45 million in 2024 and hasn't lived up to expectations. In fact, he's been underwhelming, having already given up a career-worst eight sacks and 36 total pressures in nine games this season.
Now, there's a chance Little will bounce back in the second half of the season, but things don't currently look great. In fact, left tackle figures to be a pressing need in 2026, and the Jaguars may want to look for a potential long-term answer in the draft.
Unlike most players on this list, though, Little isn't a free agent, and his contract makes it a bit difficult to move. The Jaguars would need to wait until June 1st to release him in order to spread the dead money to 2027. Otherwise, they would accelerate a cap hit of $3.6 million and leave $18.2 million in dead money.
Trading Little may be the best course of action, though. The issue is that his stock isn't particularly high at the moment, so Jacksonville may only be able to get a sixth or seventh-round pick in return for the 2021 second-round pick. Either way, he doesn't appear to be part of the team's long-term plans.